Goodness without godness

I follow my friend Laura's blog because I'm interested in the evolution of her thought, not because I subscribe to the theological ideas she espouses. On occasion, she brings up a topic that elicits a response from me. In a recent post she references an article dealing with her question: Is America a Christian Nation? The following is my answer:

What does it mean to be a "Christian nation?" Is it any different from being an Islamist or Jewish or Hindu nation? When we state the name of a religion do we mean to include all its trappings such as church institutions, "commandments" or laws and the apparatus to enforce them? Does it mean that the "nation" uses a common "book" for its guide to doctrine and morals?

All of the above seems very limiting to me. If the question means: what are the values to which a nation subscribes, then the highest ideals of ALL of them would be included: such as respect for life, freedom of thought and expression, compassion, generosity, and the like. All of which, in the end, are really human values, the things that experience has shown work best to promote the progress and well being of the race.

But as soon as those values are tied up in the belief of some kind of deity, some kind of non-human authority, everything falls into confusion, rivalry, antagonism and a general reversal of those values. I'd rather a nation be "humanitarian" rather than religious in any sense. The Founders of the United States had the right idea for the most part. They extracted the best human values from religions and codified them as distinct from any "brand."

Unfortunately, many Christians have construed the few passing semi-theological allusions in the Declaration, Constitution and currency to assert that America was intended to be a nation that holds to the existence and authority of a supreme being who has anointed a church and its ministers to carry out its will. When such theocrats gain office (ahem) they can commit all sorts of atrocities because they have god on their side.

Let's get back to the original intent that there be SEPARATION on every level and in every way between the conduct of government and religious theories. We can be good without god.